Stuffed Artichoke Soup with Brown Rice and Asiago Cheese Recipe

I ingest enough fiber on a weekly basis to keep a small horse in the bathroom for days.

I like fiber. I’m a big fan. Besides the simple fact it keeps me satiated, it’s also great for your colon, which let’s be honest, is one sexy organ. Fiber is your friend, my friends. It reduces your risk of breast cancer and heart disease, helps control blood sugar, aides in skin breakouts, and lowers your bad cholesterol, which allows you to eat more full fat cheese. Obviously. Oh and it keeps you rather regular; like clockwork baby and since I’m a planner, this pleases me to no end.

Now along with fiber loving ways comes a certain share of flatulence. It’s true.

I remember the first time I accidentally let one slip in front of the Hubby. I tried to blame the furniture, then the cats, and when that didn’t work, I almost died of embarrassment. I say almost because I’m still here to tell the tale. After he laughed at me, I vaguely remember running from the room in horror. It’s odd, I have no qualms about participating in a Tough Mudder, but passing gas in front of the man I love is a nightmare. I see the irony.

My reaction is even more amusing when you consider my upbringing.

You see, I come from a long line of gassy people. The kind of people who will nonchalantly pass wind mid-conversation with nary a thought. The kind who will continue the same conversation as if nothing happened. The kind who think if you step into the next room and let one rip, no one can hear it. It’s like the five second rule for farts, and it’s false. The walls aren’t that thick.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this seemed like the perfect time to call my lovely blood relatives out on their less than savory ways, except now I realize they probably won’t even give me the courtesy of vacating the room first. Crap. Perhaps that was a poor word choice.

Interesting enough, or maybe not if farts aren’t your thing, since I switched to eating more cleanly, which for me includes consuming mass amounts of fruits, veggies, and legumes, I’ve actually noticed a significant drop in my backdoor musicality. I can also ingest fiber filled foods like a champ. Seriously, they should give me a crown. Yes, another one because I’ve literally eaten entire heads of cauliflower in a single sitting without issue. I’ve ingested giant plates of veggies, consumed multiple bowls of three bean chili without a shred of remorse or ill effects. I’m probably a medical miracle; maybe I should call the Cleveland Clinic so they can do tests of my abs of steel and intestines of power.

I suspect at this point, you might be curious where I’m going with all this, and the short answer is you need to make this Stuffed Artichoke Soup with Brown Rice and Asiago Cheese. The long answer is since it’s packed with artichokes, a high fiber food, it might give you gas. It didn’t for me, but I’m a fiber filled freak of nature.

An alternate name for this bowl of fabulousness is the ABC Soup; Adult Style (Artichokes, Brown Rice and Cheese). While it won’t spell out any words for you, it will make you sing.

I will tell you, this isn’t a broth based soup with a few morsels of food tucked away. Instead, it’s chock full of flavor, rich, and creamy, without being overtly thick. If you like artichokes, this soup is perfect for you. It’s packed deliberately full, so you get a bite with every spoonful. The brown rice contributes to the feeling of overall satiety, while the nutty Asiago cheese makes your taste buds shout with delight. There is the quietest sense of heat derived from the use of red pepper flakes. Please do not be deterred, even if you don’t like spicy food. It’s quite literally a wonderful and subtle background flavor, which will intrigue your taste buds, without overwhelming them. I promise. I tested this on spicy and non-spicy food critics (i.e. my coworkers) and met with overall success. I even had several requests for the recipe.

This Stuffed Artichoke Soup with Brown Rice and Asiago Cheese is that good and exactly what you want in your mouth, come this holiday season. If it also happens to contribute to the overall immaturity level of you and your family, well then you’re welcome. Farts on me; not literally because that’d be gross. 🙂

2 15.5 ounces cans of marinated Artichokes, drained and finely chopped. Or if you use a Costco sized jar of Marinated Artichokes, just measure out 15.5 ounces. The reason for the difference is because cans are pretty much half liquid.

3 cups cooked Rice

4 cups Veggie Stock

1 tsp. Salt

3/4 tsp. White Pepper

1/2 to 1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes, depending on heat preference

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp. Dry Mustard

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

2 cups Milk of Choice, I used Soy

1 1/2 cups Asiago Cheese, shredded

Instructions

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl around pan. Once hot, add your minced onions and cook until translucent, approximately 6 minutes. Add your minced garlic and a crank of Salt and Pepper. Cook an additional minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add 3 Tbsp. of white wine and let cook another minute, again stirring often. It will sizzle; this is normal. Do not be alarmed, just stir.

Add artichokes, rice, veggie stock and seasonings (from the salt straight through to the nutmeg). Stir to combine. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to simmer.

Stir in milk and cheese. Let simmer an additional few minutes until cheese has melted. If you prefer a thicker consistency, let the soup continue to simmer at low heat until it reaches desired thickness. I let mine cook at low heat for an additional thirty minutes.

Notes

*If you are vegan, you can skip the cheese altogether, just use less Vegetable Stock by at least a cup and up to two.

By Meghan McCarthy

Clean Eats, Fast Feets http://cleaneatsfastfeets.com/

Are you a fan of artichokes? Can your stomach withstand gale force winds of fiber? Are you a medical mystery too? We can get tested together.

Comments

Wait a minute, is this using those marinated artichokes you got from Costco? Because if so, then you KNOW I have to make this since I’ve barely made a dent in my GINORMO jar…even with all those Greek quiches!

Unfortunately, I stand on the opposite end of the spectrum with fiber…not the butt end, but umm, you know what I mean. This weeks food addictions not only included brussels sprouts but lentils too? And well, one day, I kinda maybe had one of the two for all THREE meals and then was quite musical for the rest of the night…and I don’t mean white girl rapping DMC! Let’s just say it’s a GOOD thing I work alone! Ha!

PS, I’m telling the Breadsmith that you’re cheating on him with crackers! 😛

I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that no matter what I eat I’m just gonna be gassy….the bf had to come to terms with that too! I am also a hypochondriac…so that really helps. Dating material right here. Love the soup!

Oh geez. I feel awkward just remember the first time I passed gas in front of my boyfriend. I was halfway asleep, and one just snuck out — it woke me up, and I started rambling about something random hoping it would distract him from the flatulation at hand. I was mortified, and he just about died laughing.

Luckily, fiber doesn’t usually make me super gassy, but it does make my digestive system verrrrry happy.

I’m giggling like a loony at how the first line of the recipe mentions a dutch oven… LOL.

Why ANOTHER cheese to add to my repertoire of detective work.

PS After I clicked on the radish muffin link, I googled radish oatmeal to see if some loony put shredded radishes in their oatmeal seeing as these days, zucchini, spinach and even riced cauliflower is the norm.

PPS I often eat half a cauliflower in one meal..I roast half aiming to save half, but I swear it shrinks!

Dude, don’t even get me started. A day without gas for me is like a day in a foggy haze. It’s nearly impossible. I also can clear a room..it’s one thing to have gas..it’s another to have extremely potent gas. I also tend to get WAAYY too comfortable farting about the guys in my life. Something I have recently learned I need to tone down haha. This dip looks delicious, I am a fiber freak too.

Even though I eat tons of veggies and fiber, I’m actually not all that gassy anymore. I’ve learned what foods are the worst–looking at you, cauliflower–and just kind of avoid those when possible. However, I am regular like nobody’s business 😉

But when in doubt remember: I would rather fart and bear the shame than hold it in and bear the pain.

When I was doing my anatomy and physiology classes at the UW, we touched on this issue and it turned into a major discussion that I remember, now, 10 years later. When you pass gas after consuming things that are high in Fiber, it means that you don’t get ENOUGH fiber and need to up the amount every day. Then, when your body is good and used to the elevated (desired) levels of fiber, the flatulence goes away. Normally. And then you could consume, say, an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting and not scare the cats away with the rumbling. There are always outliers, because we are people and everyone’s different, but that’s generally how that shakes out.
So there you go!
You are a fiber filled wonder girl. Your colon is so happy it could do cartwheels.
🙂
Oh. And the soup looks righteous. I loves me some artichokes.

[…] story begins on a cold dark night, where a simple bowl of Stuffed Artichoke Soup with Brown Rice and Asiago Cheese was all our heroine wanted or needed. Thankfully, her above average intelligence, coupled with […]

[…] Stuffed Artichoke Soup with Brown Rice and two slices of buttered bread (not pictured). I see a great way to use up some overcooked brown rice alongside the loves of my life, artichokes and asiago. Also, I see lots of fiber, and we all know fiber is your friend. […]